2,064-piece Lego set recreates Super Mario 64 in miniature for $170

• 

  The Super Mario 64 Lego set is a "? block" with four levels from the game hidden inside. [credit: Lego Group ]

Nintendo and the Lego group have been on a collaborative tear for the last couple of years, with releases including the interactive "Adventures with Mario" series for kids and a $230 replica NES set aimed directly at nostalgic adults with disposable income. The team's latest creation is another one for that latter group—today, the companies announced a $170 replica "? block" that opens up to reveal four miniature recreations of worlds from Super Mario 64.

The tiny size of each replica level means that some detail is lost, and the "microfigures" of characters like Mario, Peach, and Lakitu are all made out of just a handful of pieces. But despite that, everything in the set is instantly recognizable, from the chain chomp lying in wait on the Bob-omb Battlefield to the ski slopes of Cool, Cool Mountain to the Bowser sliding puzzle in Lethal Lava Land. Yoshi is even hiding on the top of Peach's Castle, waiting for you to find all 120 stars. The "? block" uses a clever hinge mechanism that makes it simple to pop the worlds out and tuck them back inside.

The 2,064-piece Mario 64 set is recommended for ages 18 and up and will be exclusive to Lego stores and Lego.com when it launches on October 1, 2021. Other retailers will get it sometime in 2022.

Read on Ars Technica | Comments